I have a long saga of adjacent teeth needing to be extracted
because of what I think is a chronic low grade infection. It
now seems to have affected a third tooth, which also be
extracted in the next few days if no other solution is found.

I had a molar removed about 5 years ago. The endodontist
said the root had died, but that a root canal should have been
done a long time before, since there was not much left of the
root. The root canal was done, but the tooth continued to
bother me and eventually the tooth had to be pulled.

About 6 months after that, the molar next to that had similar
symptoms. It felt like a minor infection, with no swelling.
I had a root canal done, and then an apico also on that
tooth, but the symptoms remained, what felt like a chronic
low grade infection or something that did not show up in
the x-rays. I was put on antibiotics but it failed to respond
to that. Eventually I had that tooth extracted too. Now I am
having the same thing happen to the next adjacent tooth
which is not a molar. It had the same symptoms, feeling like a mild
infection without swelling with nothing visible on the xrays, and a
root
canal was done. Now it is bothering me again. A different
endodontist has redone the root canal last week, he said
possibly some small canals were missed that had bacteria
in them. He medicated the tooth but we are waiting to see
what happens before refilling the canal in a few days. But the
tooth is now feeling worse than ever, though it is not swollen
my lymph gland on that side has swollen. I assume that means
the infection persists. I'm probably going to need to pull
this tooth too. I had a periodontist look at the area and he
said the gums around the tooth and in the area appear healthy.

Needless to say, this whole saga has been very distressing over the
years. I've consulted many dentists, my general practitioner, an oral
surgeon, endodontists, periodontists,and all of them I think good. But
I feel that none
of them has correctly diagnosed the problem, which is why it persisted
and spread to the adjacent teeth. I am sure that the problems with the
3
teeth are connected. Also, I had the same symptoms for each tooth:
numb, kind of itchy pain around the tooth, a bad taste in the mouth, a
minor sore throat, and a general feeling of malaise. When the tooth
pain went away, the other symptoms would disappear.

My own feeling is that there is a low grade, chronic infection that
does
not swell or cause abcess, which does not seem to create pus at
all, and which somehow may have been caused
by the first root canal failing to be done in a timely fashion. The
infection
spread to the base of the 3 teeth that have been affected, but it is
not
visible in X-rays.

If this is the case, how can I get rid of the infection without pulling
the 3rd
tooth? I've had these symptoms for so long and been put on short term
antibiotics several times, that I think whatever it is is pretty
stubborn.
Is there an antibiotic that might be more appropriate for my situation?

In addition to the expense of 5 root canals (2 teeth were done twice),
apico, and various other consultations, I now have 2 missing teeth
in that area (lower left) and possibly soon to be 3. As soon as this
mystery is solved, I'll need to replace those teeth with implants.
Because 2 of the teeth are rear molars, it appears that I would need
about 4 implants and 3 crowns (the molars need extra support in
the bone, the implantologist says). So I'm looking at another 12-15K
of work to be done. But I want to be sure that the problem I have
now is completely cleared up before I start that procedure.

I'd appreciate any insight or experience from people on this list
that might help me solve this problem. Thanks,

However reading your story, I think I would pay a visit to a
biological?/alternative? dentist as they seem to have a somewhat
broader scope.

Myself I think when you pull an infected tooth perhaps the bacteria
causing the trouble could wander via the damaged gums to the next tooth
especially when you don't take care to brush your teeth in such a
manner that you make sure there is no plaque on the gums and the
concerning tooth in which the bacteria could prosper.

As for the implants, given you have problems with infections this could
well be the start of an even worse saga, why not just forget about it.

Metals in your mouth can and will cause additional electrical currents
( especially when there is more than one type of metal ) which will
cause a sort of constant acupuncture, quite tiring, not to speak of
erosion and poisoning effects.

Not for everybody these effects will be the same caused by different
things such a different levels of acidity in the mouth.

By the way a tooth isn't as solid as you would imagine as it has a
nearly endless amount of miniscule canals in it, just like the vascular
system, a bacteria could work itself in via infected gums and / or
pockets of plaque I suppose.

A history of serial endodontics/extractions suggests that you should
seek the opinion of a dentist who treats orofacial pain. There are
neurologic conditions that mimic dental pain such as you describe, and
the orofacial pain "specialist" (it is not, as yet, a specialty as
recognized by the American Dental Association) is trained to deal with
such problems. You can contact the American Academy of Orofacial Pain
at www.aaop.org for a list of members in your area who are experienced
in the evaluation and management of this condition.
Good luck!
Chris

I have a long saga of adjacent teeth needing to be extracted
because of what I think is a chronic low grade infection. It
now seems to have affected a third tooth, which also be
extracted in the next few days if no other solution is found.

I had a molar removed about 5 years ago. The endodontist
said the root had died, but that a root canal should have been
done a long time before, since there was not much left of the
root. The root canal was done, but the tooth continued to
bother me and eventually the tooth had to be pulled.

About 6 months after that, the molar next to that had similar
symptoms. It felt like a minor infection, with no swelling.
I had a root canal done, and then an apico also on that
tooth, but the symptoms remained, what felt like a chronic
low grade infection or something that did not show up in
the x-rays. I was put on antibiotics but it failed to respond
to that. Eventually I had that tooth extracted too. Now I am
having the same thing happen to the next adjacent tooth
which is not a molar. It had the same symptoms, feeling like a mild
infection without swelling with nothing visible on the xrays, and a
root
canal was done. Now it is bothering me again. A different
endodontist has redone the root canal last week, he said
possibly some small canals were missed that had bacteria
in them. He medicated the tooth but we are waiting to see
what happens before refilling the canal in a few days. But the
tooth is now feeling worse than ever, though it is not swollen
my lymph gland on that side has swollen. I assume that means
the infection persists. I'm probably going to need to pull
this tooth too. I had a periodontist look at the area and he
said the gums around the tooth and in the area appear healthy.

Needless to say, this whole saga has been very distressing over the
years. I've consulted many dentists, my general practitioner, an oral
surgeon, endodontists, periodontists,and all of them I think good. But
I feel that none
of them has correctly diagnosed the problem, which is why it persisted
and spread to the adjacent teeth. I am sure that the problems with the
3
teeth are connected. Also, I had the same symptoms for each tooth:
numb, kind of itchy pain around the tooth, a bad taste in the mouth, a
minor sore throat, and a general feeling of malaise. When the tooth
pain went away, the other symptoms would disappear.

My own feeling is that there is a low grade, chronic infection that
does
not swell or cause abcess, which does not seem to create pus at
all, and which somehow may have been caused
by the first root canal failing to be done in a timely fashion. The
infection
spread to the base of the 3 teeth that have been affected, but it is
not
visible in X-rays.

If this is the case, how can I get rid of the infection without pulling
the 3rd
tooth? I've had these symptoms for so long and been put on short term
antibiotics several times, that I think whatever it is is pretty
stubborn.
Is there an antibiotic that might be more appropriate for my situation?

In addition to the expense of 5 root canals (2 teeth were done twice),
apico, and various other consultations, I now have 2 missing teeth
in that area (lower left) and possibly soon to be 3. As soon as this
mystery is solved, I'll need to replace those teeth with implants.
Because 2 of the teeth are rear molars, it appears that I would need
about 4 implants and 3 crowns (the molars need extra support in
the bone, the implantologist says). So I'm looking at another 12-15K
of work to be done. But I want to be sure that the problem I have
now is completely cleared up before I start that procedure.

I'd appreciate any insight or experience from people on this list
that might help me solve this problem. Thanks,